Single sole shoe seam and method of making the same



Dec. 16, 1952 s. PALMIERI 2,621,426

' smcus SOLE SHOE SEIAM AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed May 2, 1951 Z0 V 4/ 4 P INVENTOIE; K ,gaZz/aiorefzmerz Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES OFFICE.

SINGLE'SOLE SHOE SEAM AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME- Salvatore Palmieri, Rochester, N. Y.

Application May 2, 19 51, Serial N 0. 224,175

Claims- 1 The present invention relates to shoes and shoemaking and it has for its general object to provide a durable, comfortable shoe of good appearance and at lowered cost of manufacture due, in part, to the elimination of certain parts, materials and operations usually employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe which, while sturdy, possesses an extremely flexible sole structure due to the elimination of the usual insole and the employment of a single integral sole piece that serves the purposes of both an insole and an outsole.

A further object is to provide the foregoing and other advantages in constructing such ashoe with or without a welt, as will appear.

These and other desirable objects may be at tained in the manner disclosed as an illustrative embodiment ofthe invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which drawings are largely diagrammatic, and in which:

Fig. '1 is atr-ansverse, vertical section through the forepart of a shoe constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of the invention';

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section through the forepart of the shoe, illustrating preliminary steps in the method of construction basically common to the shoe of the form shown in Fig. l as well as the other forms of shoe shown in Figs. 3-6;

Fig. 3 is a similar fragmentary view of a finished shoe of somewhat different construction than that shown in Fig. 1, this form in Fig. 3 being preferred for most purposes;

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary view illustrating preliminary steps in the making of a welt shoe embodying the invention as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 constituting modifications of the structures of Figs. 1 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar fragmentary view of such welt'shoe, stitched and cemented; and

Fig. 6 is a similar fragmentary view of a modified welt shoe, cemented.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 thereof, in the practice, of the method there is first prepared and cut to size, a sole piece 8, preferably of heavy sole leather. The rough or flesh side becomes the interior of the shoe and appears uppermost in the drawin The edge of the sole piece is then split all the way around the margin thereof by a slit I0 extending inwardly a short way toward the central area which is left intact. This produces a top peripheral inner sole portion I 2 on the flesh side of aboutshoe upper leather thickness and a relatively thick outer sole portion I4 on the bottom hair side. The usual upper Ifi, has its lasting allowance I8, or what here corresponds approximately to the usual lasting allowance, flared outwardly and superposed on the margin of the inner sole portion I2, to which it is then'stitchedall around as indicated at 20 in Fig. 2 particularly. Both elements I8 and I2 are then trimmed back to the dot and dash line 22 of said figure, the trim line-beingveryclose to the line of stitching 20.

In the form of final shoe illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1, the seam thus formed-is turned downwardly and inwardly through more than and tucked under the insole portion I2 by producing a fold 24 in the latter. In so doing, the insole portion is distorted upwardly and the margin of the upper is reversed to an underlying position adjacent to the outer sole portion I4. The edge faces, after trimming, of the: upper I6 and insole portion I2 indicated respectively at 26 and 28 are also reversed to face inwardly toward the central area of the sole piece. At the same time suitable shoe leather cement, indicated at 39, is applied to maintain the relative positions described and to securely and permanently bind the overlying upper and insole elements directly and'indirectly to the outsole portion I4; In this embodiment it will be observed that the fold 24 is so extreme as to double the margin of the insole portion I2 upon itself, through approximate- 1y It is usually preferred, however, not to fold'the insole portion I2 quite so far or through such a reat fold angle as is indicated in Fig. l. The structure which is preferred for most purposes'is indicated in Fig. 3, where a less abrupt fold 24fi-s employed, the seam not being carried all the way under the insole portion I 2 but being turned only through about 90 so that the edge faces 26 and 28 are brought in direct abutment against the upper surface of the outsole portion I4 and are there cemented, strong and permanent cement being placed between the trimmed edges, 26 and 28 on the one hand, and the underlying outside portion It on the other hand, as well as being placed in the locations 30 more conspicuouslyseen in Fig. 3. In this embodiment the joinder of the upper and the sole has a flatter appearance from the exterior.

If a Welt construction is desired, the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be produced. Here, the previous preparation is substantially the same as that of Fig. 2, except that one margin of a leather welt strip 32, is overlaid upon the upper allowance I8 and is included in the stitching operation at 20 to secure it to the latterand to the insole portion I2. The trimming at22 is as before, and the turning and cementing of the seam is substantially the same as in Fig. 3, except that a non-permanent lasting cement may be used, if desired, in place of the strong and permanent cement employed in Figs. 1 and 3. The other margin of the welt on the outside of the seam is laid down upon the projecting margin of the outsole portion I4 and is cemented thereto (whether by permanent cement or by non-permanent lasting cement asmay be. desired), and is then stitched to the projecting outsole portion at 34. Its edge face 36, together with the edge faces 28 and 26 of the respective parts l2 and 16, are brought into direct abutment with the outsole portion as Well seen in Fig. 5. This embodiment gives an extension sole effect with both visible and invisible switching which, plus the cement, results in an extremely rugged construction.

Or, the beaded welt construction of Fig. 6 may be produced. Here the elements and operations of Fig. 4 are provided and followed except that the welt 32 is made a little wider so that its outer margin 38, instead of lying wholly on the extension of the outsole portion 14, is wide enough to be folded and turned inwardly through about 270 to intervene between the stitched seam and said outsole portion to lie flat under the former and against the latter inwardly from its extreme edge and be secured directly thereto and by the cementing operation. In this structure, the Welt may conveniently be of textile fabric or other decorative sheet material, although leather can be used if preferred. A permanent structural cement is used, rather than a temporary lasting cement. All three edge faces 28, 28, and 36 abut directly upon and are cemented to the top sur face of this welt margin 38 just as they so abut against the outsole portion in Fig. '5, and the bottom surface of the welt margin 50 is cemented to the outsole portion Iii. This embodiment furnishes a beaded efiect at the junction of the upper and the outsole portion.

In all embodiments, the sole of the shoe is made of a single piece of sole leather which serves as both the inner and outer soles of the ordinary shoe which, aside from the elimination of the extra element in the matter of cost of production, results in giving added walking comfort because of the flexibility of the single piece of leather.

Also, in all of the embodiments, the main stitching which unites the upper to the sole structure is blind or hidden (by the cement 30 in Fig. 3, and by the manner of folding the leather in the other views) so that a very attractive appearance is produced. It is true that in the form shown in Fig. 5, the welt stitching 34 will show, but this stitching 34 is usually finer and more attractive in appearance than the stitching 20, so that the visibility of the stitching 35 does not detract from the appearance of the finished article as would the main structural stitching 20 if it were visible.

It is even possible, according to another embodiment of the present invention, to eliminate all stitching for uniting the upper to the sole. If this is desired, the thick sole 8 is prepared just as before, by slitting it at 10 to provide a thin insole flap portion 12 and a thick outsole portion 14. But before the upper is applied, the insole part I2 is trimmed back to a line some distance inwardly from the outer edge of the outsole portion (4; that is, trimmed to the line 22, or preferably even a little inwardly from this line. Then the upper is applied. The marginal edge of the upper, instead of being folded outwardly over the top surface of the insole iiap 12 as in 2, is now folded inwardly around the outer edge of the flap l2 and inserted into the slit !0 between the insole flap l2 and the outsole portion I l, and

is cemented by strong and permanent cement both to the lower surface of the insole portion (2 and to the top surface of the outsole portion [4.

The drawings show the parts on an enlarged 4 and somewhat exaggerated scale, for the sake of clarity. In the actual construction, the folds or humps or ridges 2A are completely flattened out by the lasting pressure, and do not interfere with foot comfort.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above mentioned objects of the invention are well fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

A shoe embodying an integral sole the margin of which is split in the general plane thereof for a short distance toward the central area thus producing a top insole portion and a bottom outsole portion, and an upper having a marginal allowance overlying and secured to the insole portion, the latter being distorted into a downward and inward fold and both it and the marginal allowance of the upper being secured to the outsole portion.

2. A shoe in accordance with claim 1 in which the edge faces of both the marginal allowance of the upper and the insole portion abut the top surface of the outsole portion, the insole portion being made narrower than the outsole portion.

3. A shoe in accordance with claim 1 in which the fold of the insole portion doubles the latter upon itself and the edge faces of both the marginal allowance of the upper and the insole portion face inwardly toward the central area of the sole and opposite to the edge face of the outsole portion.

4. A shoe in accordance with claim 1 including also a welt having one marginal portionoverlying the marginal allowance of the upper and secured thereto by the stitching and the other marginal portion extending outwardly and separately stitched to the outsole portion.

5. A shoe in accordance with claim 1 including also a welt having one marginal portion overlying the marginal allowance on the upper and secured thereto by the stitching and the other marginal portion folded inwardly and cemented between the outsole portion on the one hand and the insole portion and the marginal allowance on the upper on the other.

SALVATORE PALMIERI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 106,012 Wickersham Aug. 2, 1870 311,003 Hoyt Jan. 20, 1885 821,935 Gabrielian May 29, 1906 1,406,033 Kingston Feb. 7, 1922 1,593,264 Kelly July 20, 1926 1,767,748 Faleck June 24, 1930 1,959,792 Kiely May 22, 1934 1,963,577 Cuozzo June 19, 1934 2,008,916 Burgio July 23, 1935 2,011,230 Mondl Aug. 13, 1935 2,034,031 Gillette Mar. 17, 1936 2,065,058 De Liso Dec. 22, 1936 2,514,057 Herlihy July 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,094 Great Britain July 13, 1911 

